Unlike other food documentaries, Life on a String focuses on the barbecue stalls in the streets and records the unassuming marketplace snacks. The film was aired by a large number of foodie netizens identified as "China's version of the Late Night Dining Hall", "barbecue version of the tip of the tongue of China". Xichang Xiao Erge's grilled Liangshan small pork, Yunnan Zhaotong Ma Si's grilled beef kebabs, Xinjiang Yuli County Abdu grilled whole sheep, Zhanjiang Sanjiang village A Ping Sanmao brothers' grilled oysters, Jinzhou iron alloy soaring grilled dry tofu rolls, Changsha open-air barbecue stalls of the father and son's grilled small vegetables, Jilin Changchun Qianfeng head office charcoal tanks roasted potatoes, Yunnan Jianshui old Li's father and daughter's grilled bean curd, Yichang, Hubei, the 90-year-old girl eggplant sister's secret Roasted eggplant, Shandong Yantai's A Song's roasted sea intestines, Ningxia Yinchuan's Baozi's roasted sheep's feet, Harbin Old Lady Barbecue's raw roasted eggs ...... Even the roasted silkworm pupae in the northeast, roasted pig's eyes in Baise, Guangxi, roasted brain flowers in Chongqing, roasted lamb balls, oil waist and other dark dishes in Xuzhou, all emitting a tantalizing aroma across the screen. The screen is full of "Hunan children greedy to cry" "Shanxi children greedy to cry" "Sichuan children greedy to cry" "Guangdong children greedy to cry "Shanghai kids are crying" ...... Children from all over the country from all over the world have flocked to the screen in front of the mouth left greedy saliva, as well as because they can not eat and fall West Lake tears.
But rather than a food documentary, this is a humanistic documentary about the ordinary life of the city folk. By the title of the film, "Life on a String", we can see the real intention of the director - kebabs are just the entry point for recording and conveying information, and "life" is the spiritual core of the film. The barbecue is certainly attractive, but the fireworks behind the barbecue life is more touching.
Let's take a look at those touching moments in the movie.
Speaking of the value of barbecue, Mr. Wang, the owner of Xuzhou Family Barbecue, mentioned a small incident 18 years ago.
Life encounters often make us feel demoralized and disappointed. Want to find a place to vent their frustration, want to talk loudly, eat meat, drink recklessly, late at night roadside barbecue stalls, has become a spiritual harbor, healing the wounded heart. This fireworks, to bring a little light and warmth to the bad life.
On the secret of a good barbecue, Wang Yangli old man said:
The old man on the barbecue experience summary - "with the heart, with the heart, with the heart for the heart". The barbecue is so, all aspects of human behavior is not also so? The old man has a lifetime of wind and rain, to today's age, the barbecue, to life, all see through.
Yichang old street do grilled eggplant eggplant girl, because of barbecue and love, and grilled oysters Qin into the marriage hall. Now, due to street planning, the couple's business is getting harder and harder to do, while the eggplant girl stays optimistic.
When she watches her husband Qin moping around because of the stress, Eggplant Girl always has a solution.
At 2 a.m., the song ends, and the young couple finally gets to eat a bowl of red oil noodles in the rain that can spice up their eyes. The camera gradually pans to the night, and in the darkness, Qin says to Eggplant Sister, "Don't eat something so spicy when your eyes are so red." The eggplant girl says in a thick dialect accent, "It's okay, the barbecue has been grilled for a long time and smoked, just take a few days off from grilling and barbecuing and it won't be so red."
The eggplant girl is the most impressive in the whole movie. Here you can see the most simple and ordinary fireworks love, did not mention a "love" word, but you can through the eyes and action, through the most simple language clearly feel. You can also see the optimism that ordinary people show when they face the heavy pressure of life, and this optimism will inadvertently make your eyes red.
The musician Duan, a regular customer of Eggplant Girl, said: "A lot of the food in Yichang has disappeared, and every time we come here and see Eggplant Girl still here, we feel more cozy, just like we are engaged in the same music, the same song, listening to it for a long time, it's not the same feeling. But if in another ten years, this place no longer exists, then the eggplant girl will become a symbol, but also will become a symbol of some people's memories."
Here, you can also see the change of the city, the powerlessness, reluctance and attachment of people under the change, and the bond between people, even if it is only the barbecue stall owners and diners who know little about each other.
As the movie says, maybe you can't remember the barbecue stalls you ate at, or maybe the city you live in is changing drastically, but after many years, what you still remember is the familiar flavor, and the person who ate the barbecue with you.
In front of Yangzhou Middle School for 13 years in the barbecue stall business old three, witnessed the youthful years of Yangzhou Middle School students one after another. They jerked skewers here, fell in love, copying homework, fighting, more than a decade later has reached middle age, they still can not forget the taste of the old three home, the old three home has also become these Yangzhou Middle School students to remember the past, remembering the youth of the place.
In the rebellious age, Lao San had acted as their external counselor, accompanying the growth of one after another Yangzhong students. More than a decade later, Lao San still clearly remember their names and nicknames.
Here are the youthful memories of the students of Yangzhong, and why not the youthful memories of thousands of viewers? I can't help but think of the food street in front of the school, of the greasy egg pancakes, of the spicy Hunan fried noodles, of the fragrant and crispy Peking duck, of the classmates who ate spicy hot pot together, and of the lovely homeroom teacher who came back to talk about his life with us after drinking a little wine. After graduation, you eat alone, watch movies alone, and seldom have anyone to talk seriously with you. The first thing you need to do is to get your hands dirty.
At the end of each episode, the director uses a few lines of narration, a few simple shots, to tell how the main character is doing. This is the most touching part of each episode, a few sentences, the taste of life in it.
"Little Brother Two has opened another branch at the other end of Aerospace Middle Road for Second Sister-in-Law to manage, and from now on the two of them can only see each other at three in the morning."
"A friend helped Abdu open an online store, and express delivery has made his roasted whole sheep go even further."
"Marth basically quit the barbecue world and honorably joined the ranks of watching his grandchildren."
"Ah Ping's oysters regardless of three years two years is more than two dollars a, basically belong to the loss of money. But the villagers like the flavor, stay in this place, so A Ping will also be with his brother, Sanmao, the "old place" to open down."
"After the death of the love of his life, Ping did not stop the business, can not give up this mouthful of violent pulp men and women, so that Ping is also rare lonely."
"It is again the season of harvesting silkworm pupae, Lao Ding estimated that, in a few days, Xiaojun will bring good wine on the mountain."
"Little brain old store, now closed, Liu brother has nothing to do to run to the "Gao Lao Zhuang", to give guidance to the old cousin's business."
"Today, Lao Wang's "family" is still a spiritual harbor for those who walk at night to find solace, and Lao Wang is still fighting on the road of dark cuisine."
"Meanwhile, the silent Biao opens up with Li."
"Old Zhao, the iron hook, is still in the back kitchen cleaning up today's battlefield."
"That father and son in Changsha, I'm afraid they will have to stay up all night again."
"In addition to Xiao Zeng, barbecue maniac Zhao Lin has a new disciple. Looking at the pig's nose tendon on the fire, his little son, like a curious baby."
"The charcoal fire didn't steam dry the soup from the sea intestines, and the barbecue couldn't leave behind the fun of singing. The one who guesses the name of the song, Song is more than willing to get up in the dark for you."
"In the evening at Sanliqiao, the Yu family's fire is already ready. With righteous people, not afraid to drink high."
"Old Meng poured his heart and soul into the grilled crayfish, the government is still a few people's taste buds, honey confident in their own old Meng, but also to go back to the kitchen, continue to hold back the big move."
"In Huaiyuan market fought for most of his life, Baozi brother, is busy changing positions, but those old taste, will continue to be stubborn in the new address."
"Brother Five now spends most of his time secluded on his family's farm, away from the fickleness of the Jinzhou barbecue jungle."
"From time to time, the daughter persuades her mother to open a chain, but they are all strongly rejected by Yin, who values her reputation."
"Brother Fong has a new idea for barbecue, the righteous big brother is all sent by others, and figuring out new dishes is the love of his heart."
"Shang Laosan began to look forward to this year's New Year's Eve, Yangzhong students to him here to get together, his year is complete."
"Ah Long is not yet good enough to meet the standard of the store, and it is still unknown whether he can go out tonight."
"Windpipe Hui drink less wine, put down the glass, he is more of a man."
Ordinary people's ordinary recent situation, as if nothing has changed, and as if something new is brewing, but the tone of life is the same as before. It's the same as your family, the same as your neighbor Auntie Wang's family, and no different from Uncle Li's family on the next street. The real and simple, let you feel extraordinarily intimate, let you feel that in fact, life is this ah, this life is actually quite good.
With the end of the film, "Thank you for your hospitality", 1 episode, 2 episodes, 3 episodes, 4 episodes, 5 episodes, 6 episodes, the end of the film. But you know, the story is not over, those barbecue people's lives, not too big waves, ordinary everywhere life, but also in the streets continue to burn. And you close your computer with peace of mind and satisfaction, walk outside, and blow the cool breeze of this summer night.
Finally, may you never be alone in your life.